Birds of Every Feather

Over 2,500 years ago, Ezekiel, an ancient prophet in Israel, recorded a vision of something unseen throughout human history. In his vision God himself took a tender shoot and planted it. When it grew up to be a mighty tree, every kind of bird came to live in the shade of its branches. Where is this tree where birds of every feather can flock together and find a nest, a place to belong, a home? Is it just an elusive dream that human beings could live together, close enough to really care for one another? Will every attempt of diverse groups of people to live in unity of heart, mind, and purpose always be destined for miserable failure?
There is a worldly proverb that says birds of a feather flock together. The old saying aptly describes every social institution of the world, including Christianity. Unless forced to do otherwise, people naturally gravitate toward others who have basically the same self-interest. So you have the white church, the black church, the rich church, the poor church, the conservative church, the liberal church, and even the “gay” church. There is a denomination for every inclination.
The saying holds true for communal living, both Christian and otherwise. Whatever “intentional community” a person joins depends on his intentions. Some rally around a social cause, others a political agenda, and still others a doctrine or philosophy. But the deep-rooted barriers of guilt and fear spring up even there. Ultimately self-preservation outweighs all other considerations and even birds of the same feather find it difficult to nest together for very long.
What will it take for birds of every feather to flock together? When will the words of the prophet Ezekiel be fulfilled? It can only happen in the new society that Yahshua,* the Son of God, is establishing on the earth. This new society is the radical solution that enables us to love like our Master Yahshua loved. This love is what breaks down the barriers that prevent birds of every feather from flocking together in God’s mighty tree — a tribal nation, a twelve-tribed nation of many communities living the way man was created to live. This spiritual nation is what Yahshua died to establish. He did not die to bring about thousands of different denominations of Christians who go to their separate churches on Sunday and are waiting until they die and go to heaven to be in unity.
We are members of this new society. It is a different kind of society — one in which no one is despised or unimportant, no one lonely or unwanted. The strong are not exalted and the weak are not exploited. There are no rich or poor. Love lives here. We are learning a new way of relating to other human beings — without fear, without hostility, without suspicion. We are becoming like little children. We live in an atmosphere of trust. Love rules here.
This is a society of an entirely different order. It is a new social order. The peace that reigns in our midst is not due to laws and law enforcement. We do not do things out of obligation, but because we want to. In this life of love, no one has a right to be cold to his neighbor. Malice, put-downs, and paybacks are foreign to our way of life. Love restrains us from striving to get ahead of each other, from taking advantage of one another, from turning our backs on one another when times get hard.
So it is not because of rules, regulations, or even religious principles that we in this new social order live together and share our property and possessions. Bible verses do not have the power to cause people to love and respect each other. The Bible by itself can’t even make people agree on what it says. The thousands of Christian denominations are ample proof of this.
This life is coming about because God is doing something extraordinary in these most difficult and confusing days. His love is compelling men and women to give up their causes, their agendas, their possessions, and all their ambitions to follow Yahshua, the Messiah, in obedience to his word. To gain this life on earth now, it costs you everything. Our Master offers this eternal life freely, but only to those who see the precious value of it enough to abandon all selfish pursuits. Only then can there be true fellowship with birds of every feather who will never leave you, or forsake you.
Yahshua is the Son of God who died in our place for our sins. He suffered the death that we all deserve for repeatedly ignoring our consciences. He knew the selfish center of man’s heart, which is the root cause of all the massive problems plaguing the earth. He knew His people would sense their own personal guilt, their part in this destruction we see all around us. He knew they would want a way out, a way to be forgiven, a way to have a whole new existence. He knew they would be drawn to His love, the love that was demonstrated for them when he died for them on the cross. That’s why those who actually believe that He died for their sins will actually no longer live for themselves, but for him who died and rose again on their behalf.
Some will not be able to see the difference between what we are describing and a dozen utopian ideas and philosophies. Some will feel it is too good to be true. But those who are ready to do the will of their Creator will know whether it is actually God’s kingdom we are talking about, or just something we made up.
To gain this life costs you everything, but as our Master said, “Those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it.”
If you are looking for a nice community where you can do your own thing, you would certainly be wasting your time to come here. But if you desire to live a life of self-sacrificing love, to experience the deep soul satisfaction of doing what you were created for, we invite you to be a part of this new way of life.

The Twelve Tribes is a confederation of twelve self-governing tribes, composed of self-governing communities. We are disciples of the Son of God whose name in Hebrew is Yahshua. We follow the pattern of the early church in Acts 2:44 and 4:32, truly believing everything that is written in the Old and New Covenants of the Bible, and sharing all things in common.